Karin Carson, Realtor

Serving Montclair, Glen Ridge, Bloomfield, Verona, Maplewood,The Oranges, Nutley, the Caldwells and beyond

Client TestimonialsI have spent five years contemplating the prospect of moving and have had significant trepidation regarding the process. Karin Carson has been patient and entirely unruffled throughout every aspect. She was right about the pricing, she was right about the timing and she has consistently been right about every decision we have made. I had no idea how many complicated decisions went into a real estate transaction. I trust Karin completely and I have the utmost confidence that she considers everything and nothing falls between the cracks.

Karin Carson is tireless, tenacious, smart, diligent and creative. Without a doubt, Karin is the driving force of our very extended and complex transaction and I would not consider doing any kind of transaction in the future without her on board. Amy & David Lilienfeld Listing of 9 Prospect Avenue, Montclair Purchase of 132 Inwood Avenue, Montclair

If I had been our broker, I’m sure I would have quit and told us to get somebody else. We were so picky, and when we didn’t both just dismiss a house out of hand, it was usually just one of us who wanted it, and the other had some kind of problem with it, often intangible. On the rare occasion we agreed on a house within our range and submitted a bid, we lost, because the winning bid turned out to be out of our range. We often doubted we would ever find a place in Montclair. Fortunately, Karin Carson was our broker, and here we are, proud new owners of a house in Montclair.

She stuck with us until we actually found a place that we could agree on and afford. Karin was unbelievably patient, as well as persistent, thorough, professional and, ultimately, effective. She devoted weekend after weekend to us, and never got discouraged when we turned out not to like anything from that day’s offerings. She was always eager to move on to the next set of possibilities, and her enthusiasm was infectious. At our daughter’s school on her first day, I ran

into the broker from another real estate company who had been the agent for a seller whose house we had bid on. “She worked sooo hard for you,” he told me, referring to Karin’s persistent communications with him in her effort to glean any insight that might help us bid successfully, within ethical boundaries, of course. One of the admirable things about Karin was that she never, ever pressured us to bid on a house. She also never hyped a house, and never showed a trace of false enthusiasm. In fact, she sometimes surprised me at how completely objective she could be about places my wife or I had obviously liked. My wife and I often disagreed about the places we saw, and Karin skillfully and sensibly never took sides with one or the other of us. In fact, her cool-headed common sense approach to the task at hand probably helped keep our marriage from fraying during the process.

Karin’s knowledge of the market, and of municipal and state housing-related requirements, was exhaustive and up to date. She also had the kind of feel for Montclair and its schools and other institutions that only a resident and someone with genuine affection for the town could possess. Beyond all that, Karin is also a lovely person who made the sometimes stressful house hunting experience infinitely more enjoyable than it would have been with someone of less compassion, humor and warmth. Having Karin as our broker gave us a built-in friend in town, and it’s no surprise that she has become a personal friend of so many of her former clients. Likewise, even after the closing on our house, Karin continued to be an invaluable guide, recommending contractors, painters and services of just about every kind. We cannot recommend Karin highly enough, as a broker, as a human being, and as a new neighbor.

Most of all, Karin, thanks for being the greatest broker in the history of home sales. I cannot say enough about how impressed -- astounded is more like it -- I was by your patience, perseverance, compassion, optimism and diplomatic skills throughout a long and sometimes difficult process. And all your recommendations, insights and other help getting us settled into town certainly has gone way above and beyond anything I would have expected from even the more thorough broker. You have, in fact, been a good friend. Steve Strunsky & Heidi Leib Purchase of 31 Harvard St, Montclair

My family worked with Karin when we were relocating from NYC to Montclair. From the moment we met Karin she did a phenomenal job of listening to our needs and then efficiently finding potential homes that were great fits for our family. Beyond existing listings, Karin was constantly on the lookout for homes that weren’t even listed yet. I know that we would not have found our wonderful new home if it had not been for Karin’s excellent work. Karin always responded promptly to our emails and calls, even when we contacted her outside of normal business hours. Beyond being effective, Karin was also a joy to work with! Her colleagues at Keller Williams were very helpful and friendly as well, it’s a great team.Maggie Lewis & John Kikoski Rental of 12 Carriage Way, Montclair, NJ 07042

We are writing to give our full endorsement to Karin Carson, realtor extraordinaire! We hired Karin to help us find a home in Montclair, NJ. My husband and I are new to the area and were moving from Ann Arbor, Michigan. We were quite surprised to encounter such a competitive housing market in Montclair and immediately worried about whether we could find a home within a relatively short time frame. Karin really put us at ease. It was clear that she not only knew the properties and neighborhoods quite well, she was also extremely knowledgeable about how we could best position ourselves for success. She also anticipated virtually all of the issues that came up. It was as if she had a crystal ball! In fact, there were several moments during the process when me and my husband would turn to each other and say, we are SO lucky that we found Karin!

Karin is not only extremely competent, she was also very patient with us. She held our hands through the process and helped us navigate issues ranging from what houses were "must sees," to the "in's and out's" of Montclair middle schools. In fact, she was persistent (in a gentle way) about us seeing the home that we ultimately purchased -- convinced that it met all of our criteria. Well, she was right, and we're so glad that we took her advice or we'd still be home shopping.

Karin is pleasant, honest and downright lovely. We couldn't have had a better experience. Christine Gregory & Greg Taylor Purchase of 105 Montclair Avenue, Montclair

“I have worked with Karin on a number of transactions and she is diligent, honest, direct and uniquely capable. She definitely got me the best deal possible!” Allen Lefkowitz Listing of 35 Tuxedo Road, Montclair

Recently I took a job in the Philadelphia area that required us to move from our beloved home and town of Montclair. We turned to Karin for advice and guidance. Karin competently directed us through the process and in her very professional way, communicated the hard facts about the market and set our expectations realistically.

From staging advice to a multi-faceted marketing plan, Karin was our partner throughout the process. She has extensive expertise as a realtor generally and in the Montclair area specifically which was evident as we worked closely with her on setting the strategy. The end result was multiple offers, some above the asking price, within the first week.

I credit Karin for making the process go as well as it did. I highly recommend her as a trustworthy professional who knows the market and gives solid advice in such a reassuring way.

These transactions can become very complicated, but Karin's calm demeanor and solid communication skills ensured that our experience went well. Joyce Magrini & Gerry Magrini Listing of 122 Clarewill Avenue, Montclair

As first time home buyers, my husband and I cannot thank Karin Carson enough for her expert guidance, savvy professionalism, and her endless store of patience as she guided us through the process of buying our first home. As a family with two young children, we sincerely appreciate the way Karin adapted herself with cheer and good humor to our needs: signing paperwork on the hood of the car while the baby napped, structuring home viewings around toddler temper tantrums, and making herself available to take phone calls and answer questions at night after the kids were in bed. Karin's evident familiarity with the Montclair/Glen Ridge area, as well as her experience and expertise, were endlessly helpful to us as we navigated the search for, and eventual purchase of, our new home. Not only do we love our new house, but we love our new neighborhood - thanks so much to Karin for getting us here! Kyra & Alan Wilder Purchase of 5 Reynolds Place, Glen Ridge

Every day we think about our house, we thank you for all your advice and admonitions about getting the house ready for sale. We realize all the more now that it has sold, that you are really aware of what’s happening in the market and we are so grateful that we had the sense to listen to you. Thank you again and again. We will happily recommend you to everyone we know. I understand that our lawyer has already recommended you to one of his clients. Good work! Tamara & Leon Schneider Listing of 180 North Mountain Avenue, Montclair

It has been almost exactly 4 months since we moved into our house at 185 Christopher Street in Montclair. We wanted to write to thank you so much. You are truly a remarkable agent. We could not have imagined a better person to work with. Your facility with our family and our move from Brooklyn was truly artful. In medical residency programs, we talk about the perfect balance between autonomy and supervision in the education of the young doctor. You struck that balance perfectly. Your patience is endless (even with our 4 year old in tow) and we were so struck by how completely un-pushy you were. Never once did we feel any pressure in the whole process. You showed us so many homes and really stayed in our range unless we changed it. We think we saw nearly everything that came up in those few months that was a ten to twelve minute walk from a train stop. You took so much time with us and offered guidance when asked and where you felt it was needed, but never intrusively.

We remember when we first met at your office and how you set the frame for the whole process, something that was extremely helpful, and then reminded us of the points as they

came up in our search and eventual deal. We were completely unfamiliar with the New Jersey process and you made it a breeze. What struck us most was the way you “learned” us, as we ourselves learned what we liked and didn’t like, showing us things that built on that and kept our horizons broadening at the same time, showing us new things as well. You really took the time to get to know us.

We are so very happy in our house and are increasingly falling in love with it every day... and with Montclair. (We surprisingly find ourselves not missing Park Slope much at all). There are not words to express our gratitude, really. Suffice it to say, where we thought we would have a real estate agent, it felt more like we had a guardian angel. Maya Grosz & Siddhu Nadkarni Purchase of 185 Christopher Street, Montclair

Karin Carson has been the ultimate guide in our quest for a home in Montclair. We initially moved to Montclair from London via LA with a view to renting for "however many months - or years" - it would take before we - and the market - was ready for us to commit. Karin demonstrated a subtle persistence and, above all, patience that allowed us to finally realize that Montclair was a town that we truly felt comfortable settling in.

We met Karin at our local school bus stop - children half-asleep and fully-grumpy. So, our introduction was sympathetic and more attuned to the community day-to-day than to any aggressive realtor end-goal. Karin's broad international (and local) exposure accurately translated into an innate understanding of our needs, wants and aspirations.

Over the (almost) past two years, Karin has worked tirelessly to identify suitable rental properties and, ultimately, a wonderful home that we could commit to over the long-term. There was never a moment where we felt that we were being introduced to properties that were unsuitable. Our time was well-managed; every property tugged at some heart-string yet she never tried to close the deal unless it was 100% right. She was honest and forthcoming and listened to our needs before any other.

When we were finally willing to commit, she was able to open up her network of vendors and contractors yet not force them on us. In the end, we found - through tireless research - that her network was truly vetted. Despite our initial skepticism of "in-house" recommendations, we found her suggestions of local lenders, insurance brokers, inspectors, tank-sweepers, electricians, plumbers, etc, to be on the mark and able to deliver in the same casual yet effective style that Karin had made us accustomed to.

We strongly recommend Karin as your point person when exploring the Montclair area for your family.Lisa & Michael Troxler Rental of 4 Euclid Place and Purchase of 353 North Fullerton Avenue, Montclair

Karin was recommended to us by friends when we moved to Montclair in 2010. She has been a great help in getting us situated and into two rentals in two years. She has a tireless work-ethic, knows Montclair extremely well and takes the extra step to ensure her clients are taken care of. We have not always had good experiences with real estate agents so it is nice to finally know we have an agent we can work with long-term. We highly recommend Karin to anyone looking to buy, sell or rent in NJ. Josh & Wendy Epstein

When we decided to move from Brooklyn, NY to Montclair with a 4-week-old baby, we were completely overwhelmed to say the least! I don’t know how we could have made the journey without the invaluable support, insight and dedication that Karin Carson had to offer. We were about to begin a search to find the home that we would raise our children in, a home in a town that we hoped to love. The first day we met Karin, we knew that we had found exactly the right person to help us achieve these goals. She was sensitive to all of our concerns and questions. When we were looking at homes, we always felt that Karin had our best interests in mind. She worked tirelessly to try and understand what we were looking for…even if we did not know what that was yet ourselves. Karin assisted us in finding an apartment first to rent while we were searching for a home. During this transition, Karin consistently checked in with to see how we were doing, and to let us know when a home came on the market that she thought might be of interest to us. Karin is the type of person who makes you feel that you are her only client- an attribute that seems to be very rare in this industry.

There were many times when we felt discouraged and unsure if we would find the home we were looking for. If it were not for Karin’s optimism, intelligence and professional insight- we were able to stay positive, trusting in her assurance that we would certainly find our ideal home. Thanks to Karin, we found exactly what we were looking for in a home. We will continue to seek out Karin’s advice on the many questions that may arise with being new homeowners. We are deeply grateful for the time you have spent with us!Rudresh Mahanthappa & Pooja BakriPurchase of 28 Edgecliff Road, Montclair, NJ

Karin met us for the first time the weekend before Thanksgiving in 2008, and over the next eight months she showed us dozens and dozens of houses around Montclair and Glen Ridge. She guided us and supported us through several unsuccessful bids, and she kept us on track when we felt truly deflated and ready to jump on anything that seemed feasible. We were very specific about what we wanted in price, size, location, and condition. Karin was able to understand and refine our needs to a more realistic and, frankly, more attractive package. She seemed to know what our reactions to each house would be before we even stepped inside. Despite that, she never tried to sway our opinions, nor did she discourage us from making or withholding an offer that may not have been traditional. She patiently showed

us houses that we found through listings, and inevitably, she was two steps ahead of us. Karin often predicted that we would find a space too small or too large, needing more work than we were willing to put in, or in a location that we would not feel met our needs.

Not only were we picky clients, but we also demanded a great deal of patience because we arrived to each house hunting expedition with two children under three years of age. Karin was charming and friendly with both of our children, and she never discouraged us from taking time with a house, even when we ended up seeing many houses separately due to sleeping children in the car.

The final house hunting weekend, Karin met us at the first house smiling. She said that she thought today was the day we’d find our house. Out of the three houses we saw that day, we considered making an offer on two of them. The one we finally bid on has become our home. I swear Karin knew we’d end up in this house when she first saw it up for sale.

Karin was also invaluable as a support and advocate after our offer was accepted. Through a leaking oil tank to negotiating an outdated fuse box to making sure that we were paying attention to all the details of the contract, Karin was our vigilant and ever patient guide through a process with which we were wholly unfamiliar.

In all sincerity, had Karin not been our realtor through this process, I believe that we would have postponed or given up our search for a house in the short term. She managed to be encouraging and enthusiastic without becoming a pushy cheerleader. Thank you, Karin, for leading us to our home in Montclair!Kristin Wald and Peter Simon Purchase of 26 Prescott Street, Upper Montclair

I must thank you for everything you did to help us through a difficult time. Your professional conduct and efficient way of handling our transaction was great, and I must say you can sell my properties any time. Dr. Ed Rigtrup Listing of 197 Fernwood Avenue, Montclair

Karin showed us countless beautiful houses and was endlessly patient when none of them quite fit our ‘vision’. We were clueless as to what to look for, but with Karin we began to learn what to look at – what to be troubled by and what not to worry about. She has so much experience to draw from and we felt fortunate for her guidance along the way.

One thing you don’t think about when you are about to embark on the great adventure of buying a house is that you are going to spend a lot of time with your broker. Karin was always a pleasure to be with. She is a great listener, has a sense of humor and when the going gets tough she’s someone we could depend on to guide our decisions and help us negotiate our contract

effectively. She understands the business through and through and was not afraid to advise us to take a strong position when necessary. She really was on our side.

We would recommend Karin to anyone. In fact we already have recommended her to all the friends from NY we are trying to convince to join us in this great town. Ana Giron & Patrick Duff Purchase of 442 Washington Avenue, Montclair

Just wanted to take a minute in the midst of this huge process to thank you so much for all that you’ve done for me. You have been an amazing realtor to work with. I feel that I owe it all to you that I got an offer on my house the first weekend it went on the market…I am pleased and grateful for the offer. I want you to know how very much I appreciate all your efforts, your knowledge and expertise, and your professionalism. Ceil Diskin Purchase of 46 College Avenue, Upper MontclairSale of 19 Ivanhoe Terrace, Bloomfield

I am writing to extend my enthusiastic recommendation of Karin Carson as a realtor for a buyer, seller, lessor or lessee in Northern New Jersey. I have been involved in a number of transactions with Ms. Carson in Montclair, and in all circumstances her efforts have been exemplary. She has always exhibited a keen knowledge of the markets, a respectful – and necessary – intensity with regard to follow-up on any action items, and a loyal interest to our needs.

Listed here are but a few examples of her noteworthy work:

1) Buyer of Home w/ Karin as Seller’s Agent Summer ’06: In the halcyon days of the real estate boom, Karin’s expert staging and mobbed showings elicited an aggressive bid war that garnered $400+ a Sq Ft for her clients, and a wonderful starter home for my wife and I.

2) Seller of Home w/ Karin as Seller’s Agent Spring ’08: With the real estate market on the precipice of collapse, Karin whipped us in to shape to get the house ready in time for a strategic spring weekend, crafted a detailed staging plan, got 50 viewings for our home in two weekends, and more importantly a solid offer. We were even and out!

3) Renter w/ Karin as our agent Spring ’09: Coming through in the clutch, Karin found us an incredible rental, with an rare of month to month lease in an unheard of two week’s notice. No small feat, given we were moving 3,000 miles BACK to Montclair, and it HAD to happen.

4) Buyer w/ Karin as our Agent Winter ’10: Here Karin showed the necessary patience and informed guidance to represent our purchase as we searched for many months for the ideal home to suit our needs.

Karin Carson, I trust I have shown, is a strong advocate for those in need of a home, and an ideal partner for those who are selling. I recommend her talents in full confidence that she will

do for your family as she has done for mine. If you wise to speak of my experiences with Karin or in the Montclair Real Estate market, in general I am available at 718-406-3777. Brian M. Tripp/Sachi Tripp Purchase and sale of several properties in Montclair

We wanted to thank you so much for giving us the perfect experience first-time buyers could have! It was a pleasure to see you every weekend, showing us so many houses, and always, always with a smile!! We appreciate how patient you were with us all through the whole process and after getting to know you and your lovely family we really hope to see you at least as often as the past year – if not more. Lewis & Tsipi Feldberg Purchase of 98 Yantecaw Brook Road, Upper Montclair

Karin Carson is an extremely helpful, informative, patient and sincere individual and I will refer everyone I know who is buying in the area to her. She is the best real estate agent I’ve ever worked with! Maia Stone Purchase of 99 Carteret Street, Glen Ridge

Karin is a very knowledgeable real estate agent. She was very helpful and provided us with great tips. She understands the market, is honest and very responsive. She is a true professional and she really devoted her time to work with us. We are so thankful for all that she did for us, and would not hesitate to recommend her to our friends and family. Thank you Karin. Irene & Wilson Caro Purchase of 27 Windsor Place, Upper Montclair

Karin Carson was an extremely reliable, professional and insightful agent to work with. She guided us throughout the process and was able to share with us her own as well as previous clients’ experiences. She was extremely thorough and supportive throughout. I would highly recommend using Karin’s services to others and I would definitely call on her should we be looking to buy or sell another property. Liz & Hazem Gamal Purchase of 78 Luddington Road, West Orange

“Accessibility!”Pam Levine & Todd Schenk Sale of 1 Chester Road, Montclair Purchase of 5 Seneca Place, Upper Montclair

I know I speak for both of us when I say how really wonderful, honest and diligent you have been….We realize this is what you do, but all of us know that there are many different ways and diverse standards people bring to bear on the work they do; you have really put way more than 100% in…and we are truly, deeply appreciative. If we are in a position to recommend you to someone in search of a realtor, we will do that enthusiastically. Rabbi Noach Shapiro, Montclair

Karin was simply excellent all around. She’s fabulous! Amanda Ansorge & Gregor Clark Purchase of 18 Gates Avenue, Montclair

Your manager assured us we were in good hands with you. Boy, what an understatement! From the start we were impressed with your knowledge of the marketplace and trusted your advice on competitively pricing our home…we’re grateful for your tireless efforts. With our Montclair house sold we can now look forward to living together under the same roof, and that’s priceless. Thank you, Karin. Terry & Scott Parlee Listing and sale of 12 Burnside Street, Upper Montclair

Karin helped us find our lovely new home in Montclair earlier this year. As first time home buyers under the time crunch of a pregnancy - we asked a lot of her and she delivered. We truly appreciated her realistic perspective and diligence in only showing us homes that met our criteria. Prior to meeting with her we did speak with a few different realtors and frankly, she was the only one who took the time to really talk with us about our needs. She gave us an in depth analysis of all the towns we were interested in and helped us manage our expectations for what we needed in a house today versus tomorrow. She was also excellent at helping us navigate the negotiation procedure. Karin is an incredibly helpful and dependable realtor whose keen knowledge of the local market was invaluable to us. I feel more than confident recommending Karin to anyone looking for a great realtor. Emily & Kent Rees Purchase of 64 Overlook Road, Upper Montclair

Working with Karin was a delight. As first-time homebuyers we needed a lot of help and she gave it to us. She was not only knowledgeable about the area and market we were interested in, but taught us what to look for in a house, as well as how to handle the selling process. Karin was always available to us, was easy to get in touch with, and listened to our wants and concerns. Thanks to Karin, we ended up finding a house that we love in a neighborhood that we love. David & Amy Riedy Purchase of 13 Madison Street, Glen Ridge

A very dear friend highly recommended Karin to us when we'd finally gotten serious about our home buying search. We found Karin to be knowledgeable about the real estate market and professional. She was responsive to our needs and our schedules. We ended up falling in love with a short sale listing and knew instantly upon entering this house that it was to become our home. We'd heard horror stories about short sales but our experience was definitely atypical. Even after the closing, Karin continues to keep in touch and offers her assistance. We are very satisfied! Syreeta Carrington & Luis Mateo Purchase of 23 Colongy Drive East, West Orange

Working with Karin was a great experience. She helped us navigate what could have been a nerve-racking process with professionalism and a sense of humor. Karin answered all our questions, including those we had not thought to ask, and everything went smoothly. Nothing was too much trouble and we were confident that Karin was always in our corner. Shakila Majid & Sean Trotman Sale of 18 Carolin Road, Upper Montclair Purchase of 7 South Brookwood Drive, Montclair

Karin was a pleasure to work with. She is extremely professional, responsive and has great local knowledge of Montclair and Glen Ridge areas. She was also very patient in showing us many different properties for a long time as we took time to shape our opinion on what we wanted to buy. I would highly recommend Karin to anyone looking to buy a home. She is not just an agent trying to collect a commission, she actually wants to find you a home that you will be happy in.Brad & Robin Edelstein

“I can’t thank you enough for all the hard work and diligence you put into selling my house. Your advice was spot on from the very beginning. Though there were times I didn’t want to hear what you needed to tell me, not once did you steer me wrong, and were always a few steps ahead of what was to happen next.

I appreciate how professional you are, and at the same time you feel like a good friend. I will miss Montclair and all it has to offer, but am very happy in my new life. The only regret I have is that when I go to sell my house here in Montana, I won’t be able to work with you as my Realtor.

Karin, you did all you said you would and then some. Thank you for making the ordeal of selling my home painless and very quick. I wish you all the nest, and hope someday to see you again.”Carlie Sella Sale of 64 Grandview, Montclair